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Driver Discovers ‘Something Wrong’ in His Car, thanks to his Parking Mode Dash Cam - - BlackboxMyCar Canada
March 14, 2023

Driver Discovers ‘Something Wrong’ in His Car, thanks to his Parking Mode Dash Cam

We stumbled upon a news article published by the Daily Hive that - once again - proved how crucial it is to have a dash cam installed in your car.

Stanley, a British Columbia-based driver, shared an unforgettable and humiliating experience he had at a tire service center in Surrey, which serves as a wake-up call to dealers and customers alike.

He drove his car to the shop to have the wheels aligned - for safety purposes, of course. After an hour and a half, right when he was informed that the car was ready to be picked up, he paid the shop $112 for the service - only to find out that the wheel alignment wasn’t done at all.

So how did he find out, since he wasn’t around?

At first, Stanley just wanted to review his dash cam footage to see how long it took the guys to align his wheels. But because Stanley's dash cam has Parking Mode features, he was able to retrieve the actual footage and events that occurred in his car while it was being 'serviced' in the shop.

And nope, he found no signs of wheel alignment procedures.

Props to his Thinkware dash cam.

How did the dash cam help the driver?

First, have a dash cam for your vehicle. No second thoughts, get one for your vehicle! If you’re concerned about the cost, there are budget-friendly options out there. It may cost you a few bucks but the peace of mind and long-term security will be well worth it.

Why is Parking Mode important?

Stanley's story is just one of thousands of examples from around the world that demonstrate the importance of a dash cam, and Parking Mode.

Parking Mode monitors the surroundings of your vehicle while it is parked and the engine is turned off, even when unattended. Recent dash cams also include Motion and Impact detection, Buffered Recording, and Time Lapse features, all of which are useful in cases like Stanley's as well as other undesirable activities like hit-and-runs, car theft, and vandalism.

What did we learn from this incident?

1. You badly, badly need a dash cam for your vehicle.

First, have a dash cam for your vehicle. No second thoughts, get one for your vehicle! If you’re concerned about the cost, there are budget-friendly options out there. It may cost you a few bucks but the peace of mind and long-term security will be well worth it.

2. You need to see what’s happening around for sufficient evidence.

If you do decide to get a dash cam, we recommend getting one with multiple channel configuration. Dash cams are typically available in single-channel, dual-channel (front + rear or front + interior), and triple-channel (front+rear+interior) camera systems. While capturing the view in front of you is sufficient, it is preferable to have a comprehensive view of what is going on around - or inside - your car, especially when you know there will be others inside your vehicle, tampering with your electronics!

3. You have to activate Parking Mode.

Of course, make sure your dash cam has Parking Mode capabilities.

There are several options for how a dash cam can be installed in your vehicle - and not all of them can enable Parking Mode. The plug-and-play 12V car cigarette lighter installation is not recommended because it does not support this feature.

Relevant to Stanley’s case, some dealerships or car shops dislike having things plugged into the OBD because that's where they usually plug-in to get readings and diagnostics from the computer's systems. While an OBD cable is normally a great option to provide all the same features as hardwiring while being plug and play, it’s not ideal here. The OBD port is easily accessible, and shops will unplug whatever is in the OBD port 90% of the time, as they connect with their own OBD tools, to get readings from the vehicle’s electronic systems. Therefore, your dash cam won’t be able to record footage.

If you want to activate Parking Mode, you must hardwire install your dash cam or use an external battery pack. Since Stanley had his Thinkware dash cam hardwired into his vehicle’s fuse box, it is still working even when the engine is off. Moreover, this can’t be easily unplugged like the OBD cables as it would require a lot of time detaching the wires.

4. You have to secure your files.

In addition, we also recommend having a tamper-proof case for your dash cam.

A tamper-proof case is an anti-tampering device that prevents the SD card from being removed from the dash cam and the power cable from being unplugged.

A tamper-proof case is useful for car owners or even fleet managers to monitor drivers. Through this, the dash cam remains powered on to record footage and video files cannot be deleted. It also prevents the dash cam from being taken out of the mount, or the SD card removed/tampered with. All secure for your security.

The BlackVue Cloud, which is available in BlackVue dash cams such as the DR970X and DR770X Box, is our top recommendation if you want to access footage, receive alerts, two-way communication, and auto-event uploads from anywhere in the world with a tap.

Protect yourself, and your vehicle with Parking Mode dash cams

It is critical that you drive wisely and safely, which can be accomplished with the assistance of a dash cam. Because of this device, he was able to save money, time, and ensure his car and passenger’s security.

Let's hope that Stanley’s story was but one misstep for this shop, and not evidence of a trend. Hopefully, future customers will take heed of our advice of having a dash cam to keep them in check.

If you need help in finding which dash cam is best for you, we've compiled a list of 2023’s best parking mode dash cams based on your needs and budget. Got any questions? Send us a message and our dash cam experts will be happy to help!

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